Godai
by ButterflyMiko
Summary: The Avatar gang arrive in our world surrounded by the Miko, a family of priestesses. Aang discovers that he has brought bending to this world too, only it developed in a strange way. With their world in danger, and their Wiccan Mother the cause of it all, can the Avatar and his new friends restore things?
1. Jumping Fire

Kurisuta Hikawa woke up in her warm home in Hot Springs, Arkansas to a shouting.

Kuri wandered into the living room sleepily.

"Th-Th-The FIRE!" Yelled the small orange fox that happened to be her older sister Reiko.

Reiko transformed into human form and ran to Kuri.

"You know how to read the flames. What does it mean?!" Reiko screeched.

"Put your claws away jeez." Kuri said and went and sat in front of the jumping fire. After a few moments, her eyes cleared and the fire calmed. "The future is very strange. The fire was heralding the approach of a Firestarter, an Earthshaker, a Waterbearer, and a Windwalker. Great calamity will soon befall this land. And we need help to stop it. We will need to complete the Ritual."

"The Ritual, what Ritual?" Reiko said.

Kuri sighed. "These visions never exactly give out details, but that's what makes it fun!"

She got out her Grimoire and paged through. "The Ritual of the Five Elements."

"Five, but didn't you mention four elementals?" Reiko said.

Kuri began drawing on a piece of paper. "I assume they cast their circle around our pentagram. But the significant training we would need to pull this off..."

"Can we do it?" Reiko said.

"I'll need to make some calls. It looks like we're back together again. I'll have to bury the hatchet with Mana." Kuri said.

The ground suddenly shuddered, and a cool wind passed through the house.

"Please...you have to help us...don't you have shelter for the Avatar?" Katara said, holding up an injured Aang, while Sokka held up an injured Zuko.

Reiko moved to aid them, but Kuri got in the way, pointing a glowing sacred arrow at the Avatar.

"Where are the others?" Kuri accused.

"The other what?" Sokka asked.

"The other Avatars. They are a Collective and there should be twelve. They promised, no more interference in reality. Their powers were—" Kuri was cut off by a hand on her shoulder.

"That man is a different kind of Avatar. He doesn't smell like the Reikai, though there is a whiff of spiritual energy about him. Please come in, I'm sure you can answer our questions about the jumping fire


	2. Archai

Aang woke to a young woman with bright red hair healing him.

"Well hello there sleepy head." Rei said. "You shouldn't move much. You just had a strenuous Reikohaidan Surgery."

She walked over and placed a tray in his lap. It was laden with soup and bread and lemonade.

"W-Who are you? You...resemble somehow...a spirit..." Aang said.

He couldn't explain it, but the girl seemed to be a spiritual being. She beamed at him.

"I see. You must be having trouble, seeing a double image like that. I trust you, Avatar-chan, so I'll let you see the truth." Rei said, and in a swirl of gold light, her human self dissolved, revealing a kitsune spirit.

Reiko was a tall woman with long red hair with white strands spread throughout, orange fox ears, sharp vulpine features, golden eyes, whiskers, and six orange tails.

"Hikawa Shrine is a sanctuary for people like me." Rei explained. "This is my true form; I'm a kitsune spirit that was injured significantly and forced to share a soul with an infant, this Rei girl. Kuri is the miko who makes this all possible, this safety."

"Didn't she just threaten me?" Aang said.

"A long time ago a group of twelve highly powerful beings called Avatars had a desire to create what they called 'utopia.' They tricked us and we allowed them to alter reality. The result was that they would judge the world and remove anyone they found unnecessary. When they did this, no one mourned, because they had lost that ability. Free will itself was threatened. Kuri confronted them, and they changed everything back. In her words, with the battle between Good and Evil—" Rei said.

"At least you know what you are dying for." Kuri said. "The Firestarter is waking up. We have trouble."

Xxx

Kuri knelt next to Zuko. "Please calm down. I am not your enemy."

"Then why am I tied down?!" Zuko demanded.

"You attacked in your sleep." Kuri responded. "It has been a long time since I've been this close to a Firestarter...although the last one I encountered was an Archai."

"What are you talking about! I'm a Firebender! We're all benders!" Zuko said.

Kuri sat quietly for a moment. "Do you remember burning a hole in the air?"

There was a silence.

"H-How did you...?" Zuko said desperately.

"You are so much more than a Firebender. You are an Archai." Kuri said.


	3. Visions

What is an Archai? And will you untie me already?" Zuko demanded.

"An extinct race of incredibly powerful beings, often mistaken for Firestarters. After being hunted by both good and evil forces, the Archai were eliminated in the early 1100s because of their power to use the elements to burn holes in reality. Once the Archai could control the blaze within, they could naturally manipulate nature's fabric to travel to any and all planes of existence." Reiko read from a red book.

"You said extinct," Katara said. "Then why is Zuko one?"

"I can't explain it. I just know that if he isn't protected, Zuko will be killed." Kuri said. "In fact my superiors would probably prefer it if I stripped his powers right now."

"You can't do that!" Aang said. "He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Relax." Reiko said. "Kuri never really agreed with the Council. Besides that, believe it or not, this isn't the first time she's seen an Archai."

"That's right." Kuri said. "The other was just a child, half my age, but they were planning to train him to use his power for military purposes." She smiled fondly. "I think that's the first time I ever got in touch with my true power."

Kuri untied Zuko.

"I-I remember." Zuko sat on the edge of the bed. "I woke up in bed and there were holes in space all around me. Toph tried to help me and—"

"Where is Toph? And Appa?" Aang said.

Kuri hissed and grabbed at her head. Without warning, she levitated into the air, about two feet, back arcing. She grabbed her head and finally fell back on the bed, breathing hard.

"A vision?" Reiko said.

"It was sent to me by the captors. They have your friends. Th-They plan to break your circle by stripping your friend Toph's power. They have her body bound, unable to bend. As for Appa, he seems to be fine, though injured." Kuri looked pained, as though she could feel what their friends were experiencing.

"Who has them?" Sokka asked.

Kuri shook her head. "I-I can't tell you that for sure. It's like they were leading me. All I could see was what they wanted me to see. I'm sure it's a trap."

"That doesn't matter." Katara said. "We have to go


	4. Reinforcements

We can't just go right away." Reiko said. "Kuri will know if they are being hurt or worse. We simply aren't strong enough to go against them right away."

"We can't just let them stay there!" Aang said angrily.

"Stop it! You were hurt!" Rei said fiercely. "The only people who could go besides me and sis are Sokka and Katara."

"Then lets go." Katara stood.

"You say that like you know where they are." Kuri said. "None of you shares blood with Toph or Appa so I can't call them here with magic. I can scry for Toph, as she's an Earthshaker, but it will still take time. And whoever these people are, they are able to access my visions, so chances are they will affect the rest of my power as well, sending me wherever they want me to go. I agree with Rei. This simply isn't safe."

"You already have a plan don't you." Zuko said struggling to sit up.

Kuri smiled at him. "Yes I do Zuko. Here they come now."

On the grounds there appeared in a flurry of snow four girls. The first one entered, not appearing cold at all. She had dark hair to her shoulders, ice blue eyes, and pale skin.

"My name is Mana. I'm the eldest of the Hikawa clan." Mana said, bowing. "I understand you people need a rescue. Kuri, you'd better have some serious compensation for me helping you lowlifes."

Zuko looked from Mana to Kuri. Mana talked to her like Azula talked to him.

"Maybe you should have specified that though you are the oldest, I'm still the Head of this family," Kuri said calmly. "As for compensation, consider the fact that I leave you alive despite what you do for a living compensation enough for now."

Mana scowled, but sat down, pacified.

A second girl entered, carrying sunshine with her, with long blonde hair to her waist and bright blue eyes and pale skin. She seemed somehow warmer than the other girl, and it made Zuko wonder if Mana was a Waterbender and this girl a Firebender. Did they even have that here?

"My name's Kiana. I'm the youngest." Kiana said with a bit of a dramatic flourish. She then went to the walls and began writing in cryptic lettering on them. "Kuri do you want them to find you? Sheesh this defense is outdated."

"Well come on I can't stay up to date unless you visit more often." Kuri grinned.

Two women, adults, entered last. On one side was a woman with short blonde hair and hazel eyes, looking on edge. On the other was a woman with curly dark hair and dark complexion with brown eyes.

Aang looked up at the curly haired woman as if he recognized her, and seemed very surprised. "A-ya?"

"It's Ava." She said. "And this is Billie. We're cousins of the sisters. I'm a Gypsy Shuvani, and she's just a run of the mill witch."

"But...but you...you look just like one of the monks from the Air Temple! Monk A-ya!" Aang exclaimed


	5. Training I

What do you mean we aren't going after them right away?" Aang said.

"Aang we can't do that." Rei said. "I told you it's a trap. I know we have to go but we need to train. You don't know how to use your bending here and we don't know how to fight with you."

Aang reluctantly agreed to her terms.

"Let's get this training started!" Sokka said.

Katara lead Mana out to the field next to a well. She attempted to pull water from the well but found her bending would not work.

"No no that's all wrong." Mana said. "You have to work with the water around you. The water in the air. Watch this."

Mana blew on her hand and ice blew across the field. The ice blew towards Katara and she cried out and threw up her hands, and the ice stopped in midair. She twirled her hands and the ice melted and then evaporated.

"How do I bring it from the air?" Katara said, trying to blow on her hand, but nothing happened.

"Look out!" Sokka said, his boomerang flying at Katara's head.

She held up her hands and the boomerang froze in midair. "Whoa!"

Xxx

"In order to call on the elements you have to See them." Ava said.

"What do you mean Monk A-ya?" Aang said.

Ava pouted. "Its Ava. As the Avatar you can see the spirits within nature. The spirits of the elements. Gnomes rule over the Earth. Sylphs over the Air. Undies over the Water. Salamanders over the Fire. These spirits dwell directly in the elements. In order to control the elements again in our world you must befriend these spirits."

She took him to a wooded enclosure where the spirits communed.

"I...think I see them!" Aang said.

"Good. Let's get started." Ava said.

Xxx

"How do I make portals?" Zuko said.

"It says you must control the blaze within." Reiko said reading from the Grimoire.

"I can control my inner fire!" Zuko said angrily.

"So prove it." Kuri challenged. "None of the others have been able to use their bending. Firestarters here have to concentrate hard to burn things. It all comes from the mind. Right here." Kuri touched his temples. "Put your hands here, concentrate, and burn the trash in the can."

Zuko put his fingers on his temples and gripped his head as a splitting headache hit him. When he opened his eyes the trash was on fire.

Kuri clapped her hands. "Good job! You've got the firebug!"


	6. Training II

Mana blew on her hand, blowing ice directly at Katara

Katara caught the ice and it danced around her hand, becoming water, which she whipped out to knock Mana back.

Mana froze the water and Katara dissolved it, pulling more water out of the air and catching Mana in a giant bubble.

Mana gave her a thumbs up, and Katara popped the bubble.

Xxx

Aang gathered the elements together, easily able to bend again.

Ava clapped her hands.

Aang reached out, communicating through the elements through their spirits.

He finally understood. Everything here was so spiritual, so unique.

Xxx

Kuri brought in a target and hung it above Zuko's head.

Wordlessly he flicked a hand and the flames hit the center of the target and then burned it all up.

Kuri caught the ashes and reformed it, motioning for him to do it again.

The practice went on, over and over.


	7. Grey

Are you ready Zuko?" Reiko asked.

Kuri put a hand on his arm. "Just like we practiced."

Zuko concentrated, and the portal to the Collective appeared.

Kuri sheathed a sword in her belt. It was decorated in gold, but the blade was made of crystal.

"It's called Kiboken." Kuri said. "The Sword of Desires."

"You wield a sword?" Zuko said.

"You and I can spar later, firebug." Kuri smiled.

Zuko made a face as they all went through the portal.

Aang looked at Appa and Toph as they were, bound but comfortable. Toph was even making demands.

The Collective stood around seriously, appearing as if they were waiting for something.

"Everyone in position?" Mana asked.

"Air." Aang said, air swirling around his body as he levitated off the earth.

"Fire." Zuko said, as fire danced all around him.

"Water." Katara said as the water splashed through her hands, into mist and then danced around her as snow.

"And surprise! I'll stand in for Earth." Reiko said.

Toph, imprisoned below, looked visibly outraged. "Little miss Foxtrot is gonna take my place?"

Suddenly the ground rumbled and Reiko was standing on a levitating bolder, covered in vines.

"Like I said. Earth." Reiko's eyes flashed gold.

Aang watched in awe and blushed.

"Ok ok just this once!" Toph said.

"As a miko I represent Spirit. Avatar Collective you have kidnapped a member of the Guardian Avatar Aang's circle, you have stolen his Spirit Bonded Animal, and, as you have harmed the mujitsu, you will be vanquished!" Kuri said, her blade raised.

"Is she going to kill them?" Aang asked Reiko from his spot.

"Kiboken doesn't do that. Kiboken is a sword of sealing. It does a lot of things, but it can't kill." Reiko said.

"Everyone! The string!" Kuri said.

They all lifted the connected string she had given them and it began to glow white.

"And with this string

I will entwine

Your powers

I'll forever bind

From now until—"

"STOP!" Alpha begged. "Please! It wasn't meant to happen like this! We were just supposed to delay you a little while! I'll tell you everything so please don't take our powers!"

Kuri raised the sword a little. She looked at the others. She knew Aang was angry that they had taken his friends. But no one had gotten hurt.

Kuri lowered her sword.

"You aren't going to fight? But they—" Aang started.

"I know what they are." Kuri said. "They are a necessary evil. They exist to give the world balance. Darkness does not equate to evil. Light does not equate to good."

"But Kuri—"

"Reiko. Take the Avatar and his friends away from here. Take them to Sgiach. They do not need to see what needs to be done." Kuri turned away from them, and the cries of the collective echoed into the long night making Aang wonder if Kuri was the Darkness that did not equate to Evil.


	8. Skye

Whoa. This place looks like..." Katara said.

"Home." Sokka finished.

There were rolling hills, deep valleys, sparkling rivers, and above all, abounding magick.

This was Skye, homeland of great power.

"Where is Kuri?" Zuko asked angrily.

"Calm down." Reiko said. "She's doing what she has to."

"I don't like leaving her with those guys alone. They could hurt her like they did Toph and Appa." Zuko said.

"Um, if anyone's interested, I'm fine." Toph said. "They didn't hurt me, just held me there. I think they were just following orders. My guess is little miss enchantment just wants to find out who's pulling the strings."

"Funny that you'd mention enchantment Toph." Reiko said.

"Why?" Toph asked.

"You seem to have a knack for it." Reiko said. "Ever since you came to Skye, everything you touch has burst to life. That's enchantment. I know cuz it's part of my power."

"Cool...so I can grow stuff." Toph said. "Teach me."

"Oh I will."

Suddenly Kuri landed on the island, covered in blood. Zuko pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry Kuri."

"We should have never left her alone." Aang said.


	9. Recovery

Reiko exited the room, and Zuko stood up.

"Well?" He said. "Can I see her?"

"She's recovered well." Reiko said. "Most of the blood isn't hers."

As that sank in, Aang looked up. "Did she really torture them?"

"She did what she had to do." Reiko said.

"That's not—" Aang started.

"Don't judge her!" Zuko said. "She didn't want to do it!"

He stormed into the sick room and sat in the chair beside Kuri.

Kuri flinched and looked up at him. "H-Hiya Firebug..."

Zuko placed his warm hand on her face. She was trembling and quite cold.

He gave her a small comforting smile and lit the fireplace.

"You could use some warming up." Zuko said and placed the blanket on her.

He lingered near her face, and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

This kiss served to warm her substantially more than the blanket.'


	10. Invasion

Kuri woke to bells ringing. She tried to stand, but Zuko pushed her down.

"What is it?" He asked. "What do the bells mean?"

"Invasion." Kuri said softly.

Toph, Rei and Billie stood outside and the ground cracked and shuddered under their feet.

Out of the earth rose a humanoid creature, ten feet tall, made of earth.

"Maybe we can control it—it's made of earth!" Rei said.

Toph moved her feet and the golem was forced back, but kept coming.

Kuri saw the creature outside and again lurched forward, but Zuko pushed her back again, this time pinning her to the bed.

"Zuko you have to let me go!" Kuri cried.

"I don't understand! What's wrong?" Zuko said.

"It's—the Source!" Kuri said.

As she spoke, demons clawed their way from under the earth to the surface.

Aang cried out, his Avatar spirit disturbed by the evil around them.

Rei ran to him and held him close as he shook and kissing his forehead.

"We destroyed him once before. We will do it again." Rei said


	11. Ultimate Power

Kuri stood on a hill over looking the Source decimating the land. Aang was in Avatar State.

Zuko was blazing. Toph was thundering. Katara was dripping. Reiko was growing. Kiana was glittering. Mana was freezing. Billie was sparkling. Ava was shaking.

Kuri gathered all the powers of the group into a phosphorus cauldron and mixed it into a potion.

They ran into the valley and attacked the Source.

But despite their efforts, nothing seemed to work.

Reiko growled and the ground melted under the Source's feet and he was held fast.

Kuri lurched forward and stabbed the Source with her sword Kiboken. Kuri threw her potion at the Source.

She raised her voice.

"_ultimum potentiae statuimus_

_ultimum potentiae liberabit vos_

_ultimum potentiae et interficiam te laboravi rogans"_

With a great explosion the Source began to die.

"You kill me, and yet you summoned me here! Die with me witch!" Source said, and knocked her to the ground.

"NO!" Zuko ran to her, finishing the Source off with a fireblast.

"Goodbye Firebug..." Kuri whispered, and fell still as death.


	12. Sadako

As Zuko clung to Kuri's unconscious form, he whirled on Katara and Reiko.

"Well?" Zuko said. "Do something! Heal her!"

Reiko gently pushed him back just in time as Kuri's form shuddered and a spirit rose from it.

A woman spirit, emaciated and hollow looking, with long dark hair and a skeletal expression, hovered over Kuri's body.

"Who are you?" Aang said.

"I am Sadako." Sadako said. "I am the Mother."

"The Mother of what?" Katara said.

"The Mother of magic. Of power. Of the Elements." Sadako said.

There was a pause.

"I know. I don't look like a mother." Sadako said. "This is what happens when a woman is without love for thousands of years."

Another pause.

"I am the one who sent the golem." Sadako said. "This body is mine! It isn't like she's going to die, boy." She looked at Zuko. "I am the Wiccan Mother. I will be with my beloved again!"


	13. Aftermath

Kuri's eyes opened.

"Kuri! Kuri! Is that you?" Zuko said.

He stared at her worriedly, but at the same time there was fear in his eyes.

"It's me." Kuri said. "Please forgive me. It was my job...my duty...my burden...to purify that spirit. But I was never the priestess I was supposed to be. A priestess...she must be human, and yet more. She must not have love. But I..."

"Don't be stupid!" Rei slapped her. "Love is not weakness! I don't care what father said to you. That's not the reason you can't master Shikon!"

"But I am the reincarnation of Midoriko." Kuri said. "I am supposed to do this. It's supposed to be easy."

"It took me a long time to master Avatar State." Aang said. "And I'm the Avatar. I was born to it just like you."

Zuko pulled her into his arms. "I won't let you wilt away, becoming a husk like Sadako. It's alright to feel things. If you do have a duty...shouldn't it be to your heart?"

Kuri smiled through her tears and kissed him.


	14. Dastardly Plans

"I hate to say this, but I can't see her as an enemy." Kuri said.

"She invaded your body! She hurt you!" Zuko protested.

"Maybe. But she's doing all this because she was separated from the man she loved." Kuri explained. "At the beginning of our world she was a human woman and she and her husband lived here. They discovered the source of magic and half went into her and half into him. They ascended to the Spirit World and the Real World began to die without magic. So she was forced to return alone. She just wants to be with him...but that would destroy the world."

"You were one with her." Aang said. "So you feel her pain too."

Kuri nodded. "It's separate now...but it felt very real."

"How is she gonna do it?" Toph said. "If she was banished from the Spirit World."

"Zuko could take her there." Kuri said. "I think that's why she brought all of you here. Manipulating you, Zuko..."

"I won't be her puppet." Zuko said. "Don't worry. There's no chance that she can hurt your world."

Kuri kissed his cheek. "One can only hope."

"Not to worry." Rei said. "We'll think of something."


	15. All or Nothing

Zuko woke facing a portal that he could only guess he had created.

Kuri and the others stormed into his room.

Kuri shuddered as she lost her body to Sadako again.

"Thanks...firebug." Sadako mocked Zuko as she tried to enter the All.

Aang stopped her, separating the two so Sadako could not puppet Kuri anymore.

Sadako went for the Gate anyway, fully planning to enter the All.

"Kuri! Do something!" Reiko cried.

"Binding Feathers!" Kuri shouted, and her ofuda gathered and bound the Mother. "Sadako listen! I know what you're feeling! If you let me I can—"

"I know what you want. You think you can save me, you wretch. But you can't even get these people home." Sadako struggled

"Seisei!" Kuri shouted as Aang reached out to stop her.

A sharp blast threw the Mother into the Archai portal, through to the All. Kuri flew back into Zuko's arms.

"I won't forgive her...she called you firebug." Kuri muttered, and passed out.


End file.
